|
Rangers
Sons&Daughters
Is there
a significant event, or Ranger you wish us to add to the Timeline?
There is
no criteria to "significant". If it's Ranger related and you
wish it to be here, it's significant.
Tributes,
Memorials, photos, articles, or letters are welcome!
You
can make anonymous submissions, or be credited.
Submit
an entry by email
(please
mention "timeline" in your submission so we post it here)
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Ranger Mail
P.O.
Box 57
Chanhassen,
MN
55317
|
Ranger
History appears in blue
1939
Germany
annexes Czechoslovakia. Italy annexes Albania. Italy and Germany agree an
alliance.
August
23
Germany
and USSR sign non-aggression pact.
August
25
Britain,
France and Poland agree an alliance.
September
1
Germany
invades Poland.
September
3
Britain
and France declare war on Germany.
World
War II started on September 3, 1939, two days after Adolf Hitler had sent
troops to invade Poland. Both Britain and France protested and when Hitler
refused to withdraw, the two declared war on Germany. The war was fought
between the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) and the Allies
(Britain and the countries of the Commonwealth, France, the United States
and the Soviet Union).
September
17
USSR
invades Poland.
November
30
Soviet
Union invades Finland
December
Battle
of the River Plate, South America, is first real battle of the war.
1940
March
10
USSR
takes Finland at end of Soviet-Finnish war and Finland cedes territory.
Germany submarines attack British merchant ships.
April
9
Germany
invades and occupies Norway, Denmark, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
May
2
Allies
withdraw from central Norway
May
10
Germany
invades Holland, Belgium and Luxemborg; Churchill becomes Prime Minister
of Great Britain
May
12
Germany
invades France
May
14
Dutch
army surrenders to Germany
May
20
German
army reaches English Channel
May
26-June 4
Evacuation
of British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk
May
28
Belgium
surrenders to Germany
June
9
Norway
signs armistice with Germany
June
10
Italy
declares war on Britain and France
June
11
Italy
invades France
June
14
Fall
of Paris
June
15
Soviet
Union begins occupation of Lithuania. Latvia, and Estonia
June
22
France
signs armistice with Axis powers
July
2
British
Navy bombards French fleet at Mers-el-Kebir, Algeria
July
10
Battle
of Britain opens with first major dogfight over English Channel
July
25
U.S.
places embargo on strategic material to Japan
August
5
Italy
invades British Somalia
September
13
Italy
invades Egypt
September
15
London
heavily blitzed during climax of Battle of Britain
September
22
Vichy
France agrees to Japanese air bases and troops to Indonesia
September
27
Japan
joins Axis alliance
October
7
German
troops enter Rumania
October
28
Italy
invades Greece
November
Italy
tries to invade Greece. Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia join Axis powers.
November
5
Roosevelt
reelected
November
11
British
smash Italian fleet at Taranto
November
14
German
blitz of Coventry
November
20
Hungary
joins Axis Alliance; Romania follows two days later
December
9
British
troops begin to drive the Italians out of Egypt
1941
January
19
British
invade Eritrea
February
7
Italians
decisively defeated at Beda Fomm in Libya. Allies capture 113,000 Italian
soldiers in North Africa. German forces arrive to replace them.
February
8
Germany
and Bulgaria sign military pact
March
11
U.S.
Lend Lease Bill becomes law; U.S. starts supplying war materials to
Britain and allies
March
16
British
launch counteroffensive against Italian forces in Somaliland, and enter
Ethiopia
March
24
Rommel
commences first offensive in Libya
March
25
Yugoslavia
joins Axis alliance
March
26
Yugoslav
government overthrown by pro-Allied regime
March
28
British
inflict further losses on Italian fleet off Cape Matapan
April
Yugoslavia
and Greece fall to Germany
May
German
invasion of USSR begins
December
7
Japan
attacks Pearl Harbor. Four battleships were destroyed and 3,300 people
killed. The US declares war on Japan. Italy and Germany declare war on the
US.
US enters World War II, following Japan’s
attack on Pearl Harbor.
December
Japan
invades Malaya and Hong Kong.
1942
February
Singapore
falls to the Japanese; 90,000 British and Commonwealth troops are taken
prisoner.
March
Dutch
East Indies (now Indonesia) fall to the Japanese.
May
Japan
had taken control of all of Southeast Asia including Burma, Singapore, the
Philippines, and New Guinea, and threatened the north coast of Australia.
June
19
1st
Ranger Battalion activated at Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland
August
US
victory at the battle of Guadalcanal finally ends Japanese expansion. In
the Soviet Union the battle of Stalingrad begins.
August
19
Dieppe
Raid, France, 60 Rangers participated in this, their first combat
experience. August 19, 1942. Rangers Lt. Joseph H. Randall and 2nd
Lt Edward V. Loustalot KIA at Dieppe, first US soldiers killed in the
European Theater of WW
II.
September 3
Entire 1st Ranger Battalion was moved
to Dundee on the east coast of Scotland. Met Father Basil there, who was
with the British Commandos. Rangers later moved on to Glasglow.
October
In
North Africa, Allies defeat Axis forces at the battle of El Alamein,
Egypt. Darby
requests Father Basil go into Africa with the Rangers, permission granted
by UK.
November
8
Operation
Torch. 1st Ranger Battalion executes first operation as an independent
unit in the US Army when they secure the town of Arzew and open the way
for troops waiting offshore. The battalion was divided to accomplish the
taking of the port of Arzew and the securing of gun batteries outside of
town. Rangers scaled the rocky cliffs to secure the batteries while others
entered the port in LCA landing crafts. This action initiated the securing
of ports and land masses in North Africa from which the Allies would later
launch attacks on Sicily, Italy, France, and Germany.
December
Rangers
held and remained down the beach of the Mediteranean from Arzew. Here they
trained and anticipated their next mission.
1943
January
1943
1st
Rangers prepared for a night landing on an island off Sicily. Due to
storms, the mission was aborted as the amphibious transports would have
been unable to land on the beaches of the island.
February
1st
Rangers
raid Sened Station and initiate the Tunisian Campaign.
By
February 19, they had reached Kasserine Pass.
The
battle of Stalingrad ends in defeat for the Germans.
Ranger
lost on this day
|
Elmer W. Garrison 1 Bn |
12 Feb 43 |
March
1st
Rangers in North Africa, Gafsa and El Guettar
April
1
Apr 43, 2nd Ranger Battalion activated
Ranger lost on this day
|
Jennings B. Coomer 1 Bn |
12 Apr 43 |
May
Axis
troops in North Africa surrender.1st Rangers have proven themselves in the
successes in North Africa in Arzew, Sened, and Djebel el Ank, with major
actions at St. Cloud, Kasserine, and El Guettar. Their successes
precipitated the activation of the 3rd Ranger Battalion, 25 May 1943.
June
And
also the activation of the 4th Ranger Battalion, 8
June 1943. Rangers of the newly formed 3rd and 4th Ranger Battalions in
training under the 1st Bn at Nemours, North Africa.
Ranger lost on this day
|
James J. Reid 1Bn |
29 Jun 43 |
July
Allied
troops invade Sicily. Mussolini’s government is overthrown and Italy
declares war on Germany.
July 10, 1943
Rangers
from the 1st, 3rd and 4th Battalions invade Sicily. Around midnight they
began loading into assault boats which circled the mother ships until the
time to form up. Sometime around 2:30-3:00 am, the boats formed into
assault waves and headed into the beach. Not all of them made it.
The
1st and 4th Bns attacked at Gela and fought for their lives for two days
against odds which would have overwhelmed an ordinary infantry unit.
Ranger casualties were heavy, but the mission was accomplished.
The
3rd Bn attacked at Licata, where they encountered heavy fighting before
the battle in Sicily was finally over. This was the first combat for the
3rd and 4th Bns, though much of their cadre were battle hardened veterans
from the Original 1st Bn.
Ranger
lost on this day
|
Bennett, Edward 4Bn |
10 Jul 43 |
|
Brady, Sherald P. 4Bn |
10 Jul 43 |
|
Johnson, Jack W. 1Bn |
10 Jul 43 |
|
Mabe, William R. Jr. 1Bn |
10 Jul 43 |
|
Marty, Joeph M. 4Bn |
10 Jul 43 |
|
Mathias, Donald W. 1Bn |
10 Jul 43 |
|
McCarthy, John P. 4Bn |
10 Jul 43 |
|
Swavely, William E.1Bn |
10 Jul 43 |
|
Webster, James S. 1Bn |
10 Jul 43 |
|
Whyman, Frederick C. 1Bn |
10 Jul 43 |
21
July 43, 5th Ranger Battalion activated
August
13 Aug
Rangers lost
on this day
|
Burgess, Kenneth D. 4Bn |
13 Aug 43 |
September
Ranger
lost on this day
|
Lumnah, Oscar P. 4Bn |
12 Sep 43 |
|
Polich, Joseph 4Bn |
12 Sep 43 |
|
Bryant, Robert L. 4Bn |
15 Sep 43 |
|
Surratt, Robert C. 1Bn |
15 Sep 43 |
|
Greene, Leonard L. 4Bn |
16 Sep 43 |
|
Grimes, Edward J. 3Bn |
16 Sep 43 |
|
Sullivan, Thomas S. 3Bn |
16 Sep 43 |
|
Johnson, John J. 1Bn |
18 Sep 43 |
|
Rowley, Chester L. 1Bn |
18 Sep 43 |
|
Bledsoe, Robert A. 4Bn |
21 Sep 43 |
|
Morgan, Robert F. 3Bn |
25 Sep 43 |
|
Twilley, Jack 4Bn |
26 Sep 43 |
|
Carl R. Bunde 1Bn |
30 Sep 43 |
October
Rangers lost on this day
|
Knox, John K. 3Bn |
23 Oct 43 |
November
Rangers lost on this day
|
Allum, Albert M. 4Bn |
4 Nov 43 |
|
Henselman, Chester H. 4Bn |
04 Nov 43 |
|
Strange, Len A. 4Bn |
04 Nov 43 |
|
Wallis, Vernon W. 4Bn |
04 Nov 43 |
|
Bob L. Lowell 1Bn |
10 Nov 43 |
|
Ford, Richard M. 3Bn |
11 Nov 43 |
|
Card, Earl E. 4Bn |
12 Nov 43 |
|
Kidder, Wallace E. 1Bn |
12 Nov 43 |
|
Richard, Jude J. 4Bn |
12 Nov 43 |
|
Trowbridge, Warfield E. 4Bn |
13 Nov 43 |
|
Hofmeister, William 4Bn |
16 Nov 43 |
|
Junior F. Miller 4 Bn |
18 Nov 43 |
|
Bednarski, Isadore 1Bn |
21 Nov 43 |
|
Tryon, William S. 1Bn |
22 Nov 43 |
|
Willette, Mathew R. 1Bn |
22 Nov 43 |
|
Canfield, William H.4Bn |
25 Nov 43 |
|
McMahon, John J. Jr.1Bn |
25 Nov 43 |
|
Clarke, William E. 1Bn |
27 Nov 43 |
|
Davies. Robert C. 3Bn |
30 Nov 43 |
|
Deckrow, Orville 3Bn |
30 Nov 43 |
|
Donohue, Raymond P.1Bn |
30 Nov 43 |
|
Foreshaw, Dwight 3Bn |
30 Nov 43 |
|
Lemay, Normand R. 3Bn |
30 Nov 43 |
|
Lonnes, Edward W. 1Bn |
30 Nov 43 |
|
Williams, Ernest M. 3Bn |
30 Nov 43 |
December
Ranger
lost on this day
|
Brandon, James T. 3Bn |
6 Dec 43 |
|
Johnson, Russell W. 3Bn |
09 Dec 43 |
|
Parish, Earl D. 3Bn |
09 Dec 43 |
|
McTeigue, Patrick G. 3Bn |
11 Dec 43 |
|
Bohannon, Roy 3Bn |
12 Dec 43 |
|
Brock, Vernon L. 1Bn |
12 Dec 43 |
1944
January
Ranger
lost on this day
|
Albert H. Phillips 3Bn |
26 Jan 44 |
|
Hood, Carl R. 4Bn |
22Jan 44 |
|
Bates, Thomas B. 4Bn |
22 Jan 44 |
|
Bordash, Andrew A. 4Bn |
24 Jan 44 |
|
Witmer, Eutene J.4Bn |
24 Jan 44 |
|
Allen, Troy 1Bn |
26 Jan 44 |
|
Sausen, William L. 3Bn |
28 Jan 44 |
|
Bell, Thomas F. 4Bn |
30 Jan 44 |
|
Brown, William S. 4Bn |
30 Jan 44 |
|
Burke, John J. 3Bn |
30 Jan 44 |
|
Colbert, Paul E. 1Bn |
30 Jan 44 |
|
Kunkle, Ronald L. 3Bn |
30 Jan 44 |
|
Lafler, Julius F. 1Bn |
30 Jan 44 |
|
Lingenfelter, Irvin R. 3Bn |
30 Jan 44 |
|
Long, George W. 4Bn |
30 Jan 44 |
|
Murphy, Robert F. 3Bn |
30 Jan 44 |
|
Nunnaly, George O. 4Bn |
30 Jan 44 |
|
Santarelli, George A. 1Bn |
30 Jan 44 |
|
Skarberg, Charles F. 1Bn |
30 Jan 44 |
|
Taylor, William E. 4Bn |
30 Jan 44 |
|
Zielinski, Herman A. 4Bn |
30 Jan 44 |
|
Lamandre, Dominick 4Bn |
31 Jan 44 |
|
Cummins, Clifford P. 3Bn |
30 Jan 44 |
|
De Franco, Philip 3Bn |
30 Jan 44 |
|
Dusseau, Robert A. 1Bn |
30 Jan 44 |
|
Engle, Walter L. 3Bn |
30 Jan 44 |
|
Gangnath, Phillip H. 3Bn |
30 Jan 44 |
|
Hendrickson, Robert S. 3Bn |
30 Jan 44 |
February
Ranger
lost on this day
|
Fusiara, John F. 1Bn |
01 Feb 44 |
|
Puskar, Edward 4Bn |
21 Feb 44 |
|
LoPresto, Vitor R. 4Bn |
25 Feb 44 |
March
February
Ranger
lost on this day
|
Wayrynen, Wayne M. 4Bn |
03 Mar 44 |
|
Dahlke, John J. 4Bn |
07 Mar 44 |
|
McNeale, Kenneth A. 4Bn |
11 Mar 44 |
|
Eger, William 1Bn |
27 Mar 44 |
April
May
June
6
Allied
forces land in Normandy, France, to start invasion of Europe. This
invasion was know as Operation Overlord.
Rangers lost on this day
|
Elmo Banning 5 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
Volney E. Beekler 2 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
John Biddle 2 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
Howard Bowens 2 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
Ranger Robert M. Brice 2 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
Harold Clendenin 2 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
John Clifton 2 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
Raymond Cole 2 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
Ranger Robert L. Dailey 2 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
John Dolinsky 2 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
James Donahue 2 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
William J. Fox 5 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
Dominick Gallo 2 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
Howard Gardner 5 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
Henry S. Golas 2 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
David Goudey 2 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
John Gourley 2 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
John Henwood 2 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
James A Kane 2 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
Leslie Irvin 2 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
Charles E. Ketterling 2 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
James Machan 2 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
William McWhirter 2 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
William Myers 2 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
Fred Plumee 2 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
Joseph Rafferty 2 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
Robert Raymond 2 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
William F. Reilly 5 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
Rolland Revels 2 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
Charles Rich 2 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
Frederick D. Smith 2 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
Edward L. Sowa 2 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
Robert Stein 5 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
Stephen Szerecz 5 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
Chester Tarlano 5 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
Joseph Trainor 2 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
Michael Vetovich 2 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
Nickolas Wassil 5 Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
Raymond Wilhelm 5Bn |
06 Jun 44 |
|
Ranger E.G. Colvard Jr. 2Bn |
07 June 44 |
|
Lawrence M. Johnson 2 Bn |
07 Jun 44 |
|
Matthew Morse 5 Bn |
07 Jun 44 |
|
Robert Steinen 5 Bn |
08 Jun 44 |
July
An
unsuccessful attempt to kill Hitler is made.
Ranger
lost on this day
|
Robert Page 2 Bn |
02 Jul 44 |
August
15
Aug 44, 1st Ranger Battalion inactivated
15
Aug 44, 3rd Ranger Battalion inactivated
Rangers lost on this day
|
Alfred Haluska 2 Bn |
01 Aug 44 |
|
Constantine Anagnos 2 Bn |
21 Aug 44 |
|
Seymour Goldman 2 Bn |
21 Aug 44 |
|
Robert Meltzer 2 Bn |
21 Aug 44 |
|
Edward MacKinnon 2 Bn |
26 Aug 44 |
|
Joseph Flanagan 2 Bn |
31 Aug 44 |
|
Joseph Trout 2 Bn |
31 Aug 44 |
September
26
Sept 44, 6th Ranger Battalion activated
Rangers lost on this day
|
Lewis Henderson 5 Bn |
01 Sep 44 |
|
James Carawan 5 Bn |
02 Sep 44 |
|
Ezra Kauffman 5 Bn |
02 Sep 44 |
|
Harvie Powell 5 Bn |
02 Sep 44 |
|
David Usyk 5 Bn |
02 Sep 44 |
|
Raymond Hubert 2 Bn |
02 Sep 44 |
|
Edison Crull 2 Bn |
03 Sep 44 |
|
Walter Lukovsky 2 Bn |
03 Sep 44 |
|
Lawrence Madore Bn |
04 Sep 44 |
|
Harold Snook 5 Bn |
04 Sep 44 |
|
Albin Zima 5 Bn |
04 Sep 44 |
|
Robert McCullagh 2 Bn |
06 Sep 44 |
|
Clark Baker 5 Bn |
07 Sep 44 |
|
Joe Messuri 5 Bn |
07 Sep 44 |
|
Nelson Robin 2 Bn |
07 Sep 44 |
|
Richard Gilmore 5 Bn |
09 Sep 44 |
|
Rex Loe 5 Bn |
11 Sep 44 |
|
John Manifold 5 Bn |
14 Sep 44 |
October
Allies
invade Philippines.
4th
Ranger Battalion inactivated
Ranger
lost on this day
|
Zufall, Darwin C. 6/D |
17 Oct 44 |
November
Ranger
lost on this day
|
Leroy Rogers 2D |
15 Nov 44 |
|
Robert Fewell 2D |
17 Nov 44 |
|
Julius Remmers Jr. 2A |
24 Nov 44 |
|
Keith Bragg 2B |
27 Nov 44 |
December
Start
of battle of the Bulge, last German offensive.
Rangers lost on this day
|
Hoesli Labhart 5 Bn |
02 Dec 44 |
|
Edward Neuman 5 Bn |
02 Dec 44 |
|
Frank Lewis 2D |
02 Dec 44 |
|
Thomas Filmer 5 Bn |
03 Dec 44 |
|
Willie Moody 5 Bn |
03 Dec 44 |
|
Paul Pelkey 5 Bn |
03 Dec 44 |
|
Leo Samborowski 5 Bn |
03 Dec 44 |
|
Gerard Seidel 5 Bn |
03 Dec 44 |
|
Nick Sychak 5 Bn |
03 Dec 44 |
|
Leroy G. Adams 2 Bn |
07 Dec 44 |
|
Halvor Black 2Hq |
07 Dec 44 |
|
Leo Ouellette 2Hq |
07 Dec 44 |
|
Lawrence Holloway 2C |
08 Dec 44 |
|
Daniel Paskill 5 Bn |
09 Dec 44 |
|
Raymond Ferguson 2A |
21 Dec 44 |
1945
January
6th Bn conducts Raid on
Cabanatuan Japanese POW camp and with the help of Alamo Scouts and
Filipino Guerillas successfully executed the greatest rescue mission in
American history. This event was later made into the movie, The Great
Raid. The following Rangers gave their lives in this mission that saved
the lives of 500 survivors of the Bataan Death March held captive at
Cabanatuan.
Rangers lost on this day
|
Bailey, Leon 6/A |
10 Jan 45 |
|
Sweezy, Roy F. 6/C |
30 Jan 45 |
|
Fischer, James C. 6/Hq/B |
31 Jan 45 |
February
At
the Yalta Conference, Allies agree to divide Germany into four zones after
the war.
Rangers lost on this day
|
Hubert Racette 5 Bn |
19 Feb 45 |
|
Lawrence Briscoe 5 Bn |
19 Feb 45 |
|
John Gibbons 5 Bn |
19 Feb 45 |
|
Stanley Kijanka 5 Bn |
19 Feb 45 |
|
J. Lloyd Posey 5 Bn |
19 Feb 45 |
|
John Tomaso 5 Bn |
19 Feb 45 |
|
Edward Mapes 5 Bn |
23 Feb 45 |
|
Francis Dufour 5 Bn |
23 Feb 45 |
|
Earl Moynihan 5 Bn |
23 Feb 45 |
|
John R. Gilbert 5 Bn |
24 Feb 45 |
|
Jesse M. Niblack 3Bn |
25 Feb 45 |
|
Elwood Knight 5 Bn |
25 Feb 45 |
|
Jesse M. Niblack |
25 Feb 45 |
|
William Davis 5 Bn |
26 Feb 45 |
|
Charles Waterman 1Bn |
27 Feb 45 |
|
Ted Walters 5 Bn |
27 Feb 45 |
|
Alban Switay 5 Bn |
28 Feb 45 |
|
Carl Ward 5 Bn |
28 Feb 45 |
|
Charles Willerton Jr. 5 Bn |
28 Feb 45 |
|
Henry Dobeck 5 Bn |
28 Feb 45 |
|
Russel Gaughey 5 Bn |
28 Feb 45 |
|
Adolph Ravitz 5 Bn |
28 Feb 45 |
|
Wallace Wheeler 5 Bn |
28 Feb 45 |
March
US
captures Iwo Jima.
Rangers lost on this day
|
Richard Johnson 5 Bn |
01 Mar 45 |
|
Ernest Stoneburg 5 Bn |
01 Mar 45 |
|
Joseph Vickers 5 Bn |
01 Mar 45 |
|
Arthur Pitts 5 Bn |
01 Mar 45 |
|
Peter Bubanovich 2C |
02 Mar 45 |
|
Irvin Germain 5 Bn |
03 Mar 45 |
|
Joseph Miela 5 Bn |
04 Mar 45 |
April
Adolf
Hitler takes his life
Rangers lost on this day
|
Leroy A. Kraft 1Bn |
13 Apr 45 |
|
John W. Rose 3Bn |
13 Apr 45 |
May
Soviet
troops enter Berlin. Germany surrenders.
Ranger
lost on this day
|
Virgil H. Wood 1Bn |
18 May 45 |
June
US
forces capture Okinawa.
Ranger
lost on this day
|
Bernard Rogers 5 Bn |
06 Jun 45 |
July
Division
of Germany agreed at Potsdam Conference.
August
Atomic
bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan surrenders. World
War II ends with Japanese surrender.
October
United
Nations formed.
22
Oct 45, 5th Ranger Battalion inactivated
23
Oct 45, 2nd Ranger Battalion inactivated
December
30
Dec 45, 6th Ranger Battalion inactivated
|
